An aide to an EU Parliament member from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Jian Guo, has been arrested on charges of espionage, according to an announcement from the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Germany. Guo’s arrest took place in Dresden, Germany.
The accusations against Guo sit under the breach of Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 of Section 99 of the German Criminal Code. Guo is suspected of using his position within the EU Parliament to provide a Chinese secret service with insights on negotiations and decisions of significance. In addition to the breach of his role within the EU, Guo also faces charges of spying on Chinese opponents within Germany. The case is currently pending a decision from the Federal Court of Justice on whether to issue an arrest warrant or to impose pre-trial detention.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Wenbin, has denied these allegations, labeling them ‘malicious smears’ and ‘political manipulation’ aimed at China.
Guo works directly under MEP Maximilian Krah. In response to the charges, Krah issued a statement indicating the seriousness of these allegations and committed to terminating Guo’s employment if these proven to be true.
This incident comes just weeks before the 2024 European Parliament elections, which are scheduled for June 9 by Germany’s federal government. The AfD has consistently ranked highly among German voters. Despite increasing popularity on the back of concerns over inflation and immigration, the party’s remigration plan – proposing the deportation of immigrants – has lead to criticism and debates on whether it should be banned from the political landscape.
In reaction to the arrest, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser made a statement, voicing concerns over the implications of espionage within the EU Parliament on European democracy. Faeser stresses that employing individuals who potentially pose such threats lie with those employing such individuals.